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Groveport to begin negotiations with Columbus for water service
(by Rick Palsgrove, Southeast Editor - April 14, 2009)
Groveport Village Council authorized Village Administrator Steve Morris to begin negotiations with the city of Columbus to determine the cost factors involved to have the city provide water service to the entire village of Groveport.
The action was approved at council's April 13 meeting by a 5-1 vote with Councilman Ed Rarey dissenting. Rarey stated he'd like to see more citizen input in the process.
"The negotiations will help the village get the whole picture of the costs involved (to convert to the Columbus water system)," said Groveport Law Director Kevin Shannon. "We're at a very preliminary stage of the entire legislative process."
Finance Director Ken Salak provided council with an estimate of what the quarterly water/sewer bill would be for customers on the Columbus system and those on the Groveport system. The comparison used a three person household using 8,000 gallons per quarter as Salak said this represented an average customer. The costs under this example:
•for the Columbus system would be: 2009: $277; 2010: $301; 2011: $326; 2012: $354: and from 2013 to 2022: $363.
•for the Groveport system would be: 2009: $275; 2010: $310; 2011: $352; 2012: $408; 2013: $464; 2014: $520; 2015: $555; 2016: $562; 2017: $566; and from 2018 to 2022: $570.
Background
EMH&T engineer Steve Farst has presented two options for the village: maintain the village water system or connect to Columbus water by 2012.
In early 2008, Finance Director Ken Salak indicated the Groveport water system had 1,155 customers. This included 1,085 residences, 59 businesses, and 11 governmental buildings. The Columbus water system within the village limits had 829 customers, including 765 residences and 64 businesses. (These numbers have changed some since then, but an official tally was not available. However, Farst noted there are now an estimated 1,200 customers on the Groveport water system.)
The Groveport system option
Farst said, to keep the village water system functioning, the town's water plant (built in 1936 and refurbished several times since) would have to be replaced by 2012, when it is projected to reach capacity, to meet Ohio EPA requirements.
Also, the "tin man" water tower located on Buckeye Alley would have to be replaced, a transmission line installed to connect a new tank to the water plant, and water line upgrades in some areas. These potential capital water improvements on the village system would cost an estimated $7.2 million.
According to an EMH&T study presented in 2008, within Groveport's existing water service area there were only 26 platted lots still to be developed and they would be built out by 2008, not enough to sustain substantial growth for the water system.
The 2008 study outlined other areas where Groveport could expand its water system to achieve the growth it would need to keep the rates from rising too swiftly. These areas included land north of Corbett/Ebright roads to Elmont Place; southeast to Little Walnut Creek; east to Rager Road; and northeast along Sims Road. However, Farst noted some of this land has now been designated as a flood plain by FEMA, making it unattractive for development.
The Columbus system option
Farst said the cost to connect to the Columbus water system would be an estimated $899,493, which would include: installing a pressure reduction vault at the connection point, replacing 1,200 water meters in the existing village water grid, tearing down the two existing water towers, and dismantling the existing water plant.
Farst noted there are already two points of connection to Columbus water already in place in the village.
If Groveport decides to connect with Columbus, contractual arrangements would need to be ironed out, replacement meter costs determined, a continuous improvement plan for aging water lines would be established, and water line breaks would be addressed by both Columbus and Groveport.
Farst said the expectation would be that, if Groveport tapped into Columbus water, it would receive its water from the Parsons Avenue water plant, which uses ground water from the same aquifer the current Groveport water plant uses. But, he said, Morris' negotiations with Columbus would have to confirm that.
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